Oswald Chambers: Joy - Strength In The LordSýnishorn

The fortune of misfortune! That is Paul’s way of looking at his captivity. He does not want them to be depressed on his account, or to imagine that God’s purpose has been hindered; he says it has not been hindered, but furthered. The very things that looked so disastrous have turned out to be the most opportune, so that on this account his heart bounds with joy, and the note of rejoicing comes out.

The spirit of obedience gives more joy to God than anything else on earth. When the love of God is shed abroad in my heart (Romans 5:5), I am possessed by the nature of God, and I know by my obedience that I love Him. The best measure of a spiritual life is not its ecstasies, but its obedience.

Reflection Questions: What disasters have turned into opportunities? What joy would I have missed if I had not walked with God through adversity?

Quotations taken from Conformed to His Image and Not Knowing Where, © Discovery House Publishers